Machine foe making lightning-rods



C. STEARNS. LIGHTNING ROD.

Patented Sept. 20, 1859.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES STEARNS, OF LOVELL, MASSACHUSETTS.

MACHINE FOR MAKING LIGHTNING-RODS.

Specification of Letters Patent No. 25,534, dated September 20, 1859.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES STEARNS, of Lowell, in the county 'of Middlesex and Commonwealth of Massachusetts, have invented a new and useful Device for Producing Corrugated, Twisted Copper Lightning- Rods; and I hereby declare that the following specification, in connection with the accompanying drawings and references marked thereon, constitute a lucid, clear, and exact description of the construction of the same.

In referring to the said drawings Figure l, shows a coil of sheet copper or metal ready for shaping. Fig. 2, an edge View of the same. Fig. 3, a portion of the rod after being shaped or formed. Fig. t, an end view of it. Fig. 5, a plan of the machine or device for shaping the rod. Fig. 6, a back end elevation of the same. Fig. 7 a side elevation of it. Fig. 8, an opposite side elevation of the same and, Fig. 9, a front elevation of it.

The nature of my invention consists in constructing twisting rollers, and so combining them with corrugating rollers as to produce corrugated and twisted lightning conductors or rods.

The nature and continuosity of the rod renders it necessary to shape it at, or near the spot where it is to be applied, and hence I construct a portable machine for that object, seen at Figs. 5, 6, 7, 8 and 9. A being a wooden platform for the machine to stand upon as well as the person using it and by that means hold it secure. B, a pedestal or shaft, the lower end of which is secured to stand A, and its upper end receives and sustains two metallic plates C, by pinbolt M, on which these plates can swing or turn to direct the rod as may be desired, and the bolt N, to secure them when set. These plates C are perforated toreceive two sets of corrugating rolls seen at D, and E, the bearing or pivots of each being indicated by the same letters, and the shafts B2, and F2, carrying gears seen at F, and I, and J, which are secured thereon and which mesh into roll gears Gr, H, K, and L, by turning gear F, by crank A2, they are all put in motion, the first, or corrugated set of rolls seen at D, are shaped about midway between the flat rod or strip,and the shape it is destined to receive when the corrugation is completed, and the next or second set E, are formed as the rod is intended to be corrugated and completes that operation. The rod could not be corrugated as indicated; with one set of rolls as the strain would be so great as to split the rod or strip before it would be formed, hence two sets are used, to make the formation gradual.

At Q, may be seen a swing frame for receiving the twisting rolls; this frame is so constructed and attached to part X, of plates C, that it may be readily swung to any angle and secured by nut I), on stand G2, which carries the frame Q. This frame carries the twisting rolls V, which are suspended therein so as to freely turn, and are placed as indicated in the drawings particularly at Fig. 9. These rolls have a lateral adjustment by means of screw z', by which they can be set nearer to each other or farther apart as may be required to receive the Various thickness of metal, of which the rod may be made, and also to impart more or less twist to the rod after being corrugated.

Two guide rolls seen at S, and T, are suspended in the back end of my machine, on the latter, of which collars seen at U, are placed and adjusted to the width of rod by screws Y. These rolls S, and T, serve the double purpose of guiding the sheet metal to the machine, and to flatten any that may remain corrugated, by reversing the movement of the machine or crank A2.

Operation: The coil of sheet metal seen at Fig. 1, or at D2, is suspended on pin E2, and the end inserted between guide rolls S, and T, and then between the first set of corrugating rolls D, then turn the crank A2, in direction indicated by the arrow, and they will partly form and carry along, and deliver the rod to the rolls E, which completes the corrugation so fast as it passes between them. When the corrugated rod approaches the twisting rolls V, the frame Q which carry them is swung around by loosening nut P, so that the straight corrugated rod will enter between the rolls V, then the frame Q, and rolls V, are swung and confined, as seen in the drawings at Fig. 9, or so as to sufficiently twist the rod; then continue turning the crank A2, and the coil is passed through corrugated and twisted all at one operation. The machine being elevated or depressed so as to direct the continuous finished rod where desired, by turning on pin bolt M, and being secured thereon by bolt N. The rod can be twisted more or less by setting the rolls V, as before started, laterally scribed, in oombngtton with the corrugatng as may be desired by screw i, but it is prefrollers for producmg the corrugated twisted erable to move or swing the frame Q, for copper rod.

the same purpose. CHARLES STEARNS. 5 What I claim as my invention and desire Witnesses:

to secure by Letters Patent is E. W. SCOTT,

The twisting rollers constructed as de- H. A. RICHARDSON. 

